Plumber License from Georgia to New Hampshire: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · source: New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board ↗
Yes — New Hampshire has a reciprocity arrangement covering Georgia license holders. Apply to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
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Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Georgia is on New Hampshire's reciprocity list, which puts this move on the streamlined track — on two conditions. Your Georgia license must have been earned by examination, not grandfathered in, and be active and in good standing; where it is, New Hampshire waives its journeyman exam and the requirements below are what it still insists on. New Hampshire licenses a journeyman plumber by endorsement — without requiring its own plumbing examination — when the applicant holds an active, good-standing journeyman plumber license from one of 33 'qualifying jurisdictions' whose requirements OPLC deems substantially similar (RSA 310:17 / HB 594, rule Plc 313.34); applicants from any other state must qualify through New Hampshire's apprenticeship route and pass the New Hampshire plumbing examination. One caution: these agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date is when we last confirmed Georgia on New Hampshire's list; the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board link is the live truth.
What changes, Georgia → New Hampshire
| Georgia (current) | New Hampshire (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $80–$160 (Journeyman ~$80 ($70 application + $10 processing); master ~$160 ($150 application + $10 processing) per the Division's plumbing exam/initial-application form. Examination administered by PSI with a separate exam fee paid to PSI; that exam is waived only for a qualifying reciprocity applicant under Rule 121-2-.03. Fee figures obtained via search extraction of the Division's official forms because the sos.ga.gov fee-schedule PDF returned HTTP 403 on direct load) | $190–$210 (Journeyman Plumber application fee $190 plus $20 certificate fee; the fingerprint / criminal background check fee is additional and paid separately. (Master Plumber application fee is $310)) |
| Processing time | No board-stated processing time in weeks; the Division publishes exam dates and application deadlines and an application must be approved before the scheduled examination | No board-stated processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license once the application, fee, and fingerprints are submitted and the applicant qualifies by endorsement, pending background-check results |
| Licensing authority | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (Office of the Secretary of State) | New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — New Hampshire sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm New Hampshire's current requirements on the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state via the verification system.
- Hold an active, good-standing journeyman plumber license from one of the 33 qualifying jurisdictions listed in OPLC rule Plc 313.34.
- Complete a New Hampshire criminal history records check (fingerprint-based), required for the Journeyman Plumber license type.
- Maintain continuing education of 3 hours of code update per year (6 hours per two-year renewal cycle).
- Applicants from non-qualifying states must complete a New Hampshire plumbing apprenticeship and pass the New Hampshire plumbing examination.
- Pay the fees ($190–$210 (Journeyman Plumber application fee $190 plus $20 certificate fee; the fingerprint / criminal background check fee is additional and paid separately. (Master Plumber application fee is $310))) and allow No board-stated processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license once the application, fee, and fingerprints are submitted and the applicant qualifies by endorsement, pending background-check results.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Does New Hampshire accept a Georgia plumbing license?
Yes — New Hampshire has a reciprocity arrangement covering Georgia license holders. Apply to the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board under its reciprocity/endorsement track; typically you skip the national exam and complete state-specific requirements only.
Which exam applies moving from Georgia to New Hampshire?
New Hampshire licenses a journeyman plumber by endorsement — without requiring its own plumbing examination — when the applicant holds an active, good-standing journeyman plumber license from one of 33 'qualifying jurisdictions' whose requirements OPLC deems substantially similar (RSA 310:17 / HB 594, rule Plc 313.34); applicants from any other state must qualify through New Hampshire's apprenticeship route and pass the New Hampshire plumbing examination.
What does the Georgia-to-New Hampshire move cost and how long does it take?
$190–$210 (Journeyman Plumber application fee $190 plus $20 certificate fee; the fingerprint / criminal background check fee is additional and paid separately. (Master Plumber application fee is $310)); processing No board-stated processing time; under Plc 313.07(c) OPLC may issue an 'Active-Provisional' license once the application, fee, and fingerprints are submitted and the applicant qualifies by endorsement, pending background-check results.
Can I keep my Georgia plumbing license after I'm licensed in New Hampshire?
Yes — plumbing licenses in different jurisdictions run independently. Keep the Georgia credential active on its own renewal and continuing-education schedule and you hold both, which is common for plumbers working near a state line.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- NH OPLC — New Changes for Reciprocity in New Hampshire (Mechanical Licensing Board Plc 313.34: 33 qualifying jurisdictions for Journeyman Plumber; RSA 310:17 / HB 594) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC — License Fees for the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (Journeyman Plumber $190 application + $20 certificate) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- NH OPLC — Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board (governing board for plumbers; RSA 153:27-153:38) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia Rules & Regulations 121-2 (Qualifications) incl. Rule 121-2-.03 Statewide License by Reciprocity ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia Rules & Regulations 121-3 (Application for Licensure — 1-yr journeyman / 5-yr master experience, exam minimum score 70) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers (board page) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Georgia SOS — Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers FAQ (reciprocity statement) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by Billy Reiner, Editor · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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